Need help with Mauser

[260284]

Definately not a vintage sniper rifle, just a sporterized 98 Mauser. This was in the father in law's guns that he gave me before he passed. It shoots good, I just have no use for it and it has no sentimental value.

Any idea what this would be worth? I need room in the safe more than I need the rifle and my son's have no interest in it.

Thanks

 

[RTH1800]

Unfortunately rifles like that bring very little. Far less than their intrinsic value. Seems most folks today feel about like you toward them. Have no interest or use. If you can get 150.00 consider taking it.

 

[Ledzep]

Yeah I'd say a little higher, maybe up to $250 if you find the right someone, but to be honest most folks will gravitate towards a Ruger American/Savage Axis more than an old sporter Mauser.

 

[sandwarrior]

What caliber is it in? Is it a replaced barrel or original turned down? Stock maker? What barrel, if it was replaced, and what twist? What scope? Can you tell the original maker of the action based on the stamps/writing on the action? A reputable action may mean more money.

 

[acudaowner]

fix it keep it forever and ever nice gift if you have kids .

 

[260284]

What caliber is it in? Is it a replaced barrel or original turned down? Stock maker? What barrel, if it was replaced, and what twist? What scope? Can you tell the original maker of the action based on the stamps/writing on the action? A reputable action may mean more money.

The barrel is stamped 5/67 and 30-06. I suspect it is a Fajen stock that came checkered with a rough inlet. Whoever built it was not very handy with stocks. I am trying to sell it locally, deer season is late November here in Kansas. It has a Japanese 3-9 Tasco on it with fine crosshairs and Williams open sights. I haven't looked up any of the markings on the receiver.

 

[Ledzep]

It started as a Gewehr 98, German infantry service rifle from 1898 until the end of WWI. Originally it was 8x57 Mauser so it's been rebarreled (Typical of these type of rifles).

The serial number patterns on most German small arms in that time frame was 1 through 9999 without a suffix, then 1a through 9999a, 1b-9999b, etc... With a reset to clear suffixes at the beginning of the next year. The markings that will tell you the year and place of manufacture are under the scope mount on the front ring of the receiver. Everything else (little crown markings) are proof/inspection marks.

 

[260284]

I will pull the mounts off and see what is there.

 

[Dan M]

It was manufactured at Amberg after 1903.

 

[mongoosesnipe]

i bought a vz24 that looked just like that in 30-06 with same stock and scope and mount for $129, gone are the days of improving value of a milsurp unless it was done by a big name from back in the day its basically the cheapest rifle you can buy.... listing it as a "good hunting rifle" and selling it to undiscerning hunter is probably your best option for getting money out of it, word of warning if you keep it the rear of the receiver is machined down and stripper clip guide removed to accept that tasco mount when i replaced mine with a 1 piece leupold base i had to add probably an 1/8" bedding under the rear of the base to get it to fit correctly

 

[Random Guy]

I bought a similar Sporterized WWI Mauser a few years back - mainly b/c it had an old Weaver M73B1 scope on it, which was in good shape. The price was only $250, and it was chambered in 22-250. The local gun store didn't know that the tiny Weaver scope was actually a WWII era scope off an M1903A4 sniper rifle, so I couldn't pass it up. The one thing it had going for it was some double-set triggers. I think it was Sporterized in the 1960s as well. I kept pics of it from the ad when I sold off the rifle.

Without the scope I think it sold for $175 or something, as the buyer really wanted the double set triggers, since they are unusual.
Not sure if that helps, but I'd be interested in buying that old Tasco scope for a retro-project that I have in mind.

 

[260284]

I bought a similar Sporterized WWI Mauser a few years back - mainly b/c it had an old Weaver M73B1 scope on it, which was in good shape. The price was only $250, and it was chambered in 22-250. The local gun store didn't know that the tiny Weaver scope was actually a WWII era scope off an M1903A4 sniper rifle, so I couldn't pass it up. The one thing it had going for it was some double-set triggers. I think it was Sporterized in the 1960s as well. I kept pics of it from the ad when I sold off the rifle.

View attachment 7165703

Without the scope I think it sold for $175 or something, as the buyer really wanted the double set triggers, since they are unusual.
Not sure if that helps, but I'd be interested in buying that old Tasco scope for a retro-project that I have in mind.

I have someone that wants the package that sent me a PM earlier today. I will let you know if it sells.

 

[260284]

It started as a Gewehr 98, German infantry service rifle from 1898 until the end of WWI. Originally it was 8x57 Mauser so it's been rebarreled (Typical of these type of rifles).

The serial number patterns on most German small arms in that time frame was 1 through 9999 without a suffix, then 1a through 9999a, 1b-9999b, etc... With a reset to clear suffixes at the beginning of the next year. The markings that will tell you the year and place of manufacture are under the scope mount on the front ring of the receiver. Everything else (little crown markings) are proof/inspection marks.

Here is a picture of what was under the scope base.

 

[Ledzep]

Amberg 1918 original productin. My understanding is the 1920 stamp you see on WWI produced German weapons that were allowed to stay in the German military inventory after the Versailles treaty. Directly after the war there were pretty stringent rules on what the German military was allowed to have.